Mom says stepson will pay for Marine-egging incident

The mother of a Texas teenager promises her stepson will “suffer consequences” after his arrest Nov. 3 in connection with an early morning egging spree that involved a group of Marines collecting donations for charity.

But Carol Holbert, whose 18-year-old son, Hunter, was among four teens cited by police, says she fears for her family’s safety after Marines and others offended by the incident have threatened them with violence.

“I am in no way endorsing this behavior, nor did we raise our children to do this. He made a mistake, a huge mistake,” Holbert said. “But the threats need to stop. Hunter will answer to a judge on this Earth and to a higher power as well one day. We are as disappointed as anyone else is, but the hateful remarks targeted at him and the death threats need to stop.”

The incident occurred around 6 a.m. in San Angelo, a city of about 90,000 in west-central Texas. Four Marines were standing at a busy intersection, collecting donations from morning commuters on behalf of the Toys for Tots Foundation, when Hunter Holbert’s white Dodge Dakota pickup truck zoomed by and its occupants hurled eggs at them, police say.

The pickup almost hit one of the Marines as it went by – and nearly smashed head-on into another vehicle – before hitting a traffic island where it came to rest, according to police. A Marine whose vehicle was egged is credited with giving chase and helping the cops locate the pickup truck.

Holbert was charged with reckless driving and criminal mischief. He faces up to $2,000 in fines and six months in jail if convicted. His three passengers, 18-year-olds Brandon Garcia and Taylor White, and an unidentified juvenile, also were cited for criminal mischief.

The incident, first reported Nov. 5 by the San Angelo Standard-Times, made national headlines after generating interest from Marine Corps Times and USA TODAY, which are owned by the same parent company. Contrary to initial reports, the Marines were not struck by the eggs, and local police don’t believe they were targeted specifically, said San Angelo Police Officer Tracy Gonzalez, a spokesperson for the department.

On Nov. 6, Gonzalez’s colleague, Lt. Mike Hernandez, told Marine Corps Times that several people had called the police department offering to pay the Marines’ dry cleaning bill.